Leadership Today: Why Connection, Not Perfection, Matters

Leadership Today: Why Connection, Not Perfection, Matters

Let’s be honest: leadership today isn’t just complex, it’s bloody relentless.

If you're feeling the weight of it, you're not imagining things.

The latest Gallup State of the Global Workforce (2025) report shows us just how real the challenge is:

• Manager engagement globally has dropped from 30% to 27%.
• Only 44% of managers worldwide have received formal training on how to lead (yep, you read that right).
• Globally, only 21% of employees feel engaged at work.
• Just 33% of people describe themselves as thriving, while a whopping 58% are struggling.

Even here in Australia and New Zealand, where engagement levels are stronger - only 37% of managers describe themselves as thriving. 

Is anyone listening?  This is a big problem and a bloody big wake up call.  

When managers aren't thriving, the impact ripples through entire teams:

• Psychological safety erodes.
• Engagement drops.
• Wellbeing suffers.
• Performance lags - not because people don’t care, but because the conditions for thriving aren’t there.

It’s time for action, people! 

A Personal Reflection: What Leadership Taught Me

Everything I’ve learned about leadership hasn’t come from a textbook. It’s come from experience, development, mistakes, and observing role models - both the inspiring ones and the ones who taught me what not to do.

I’ve invested heavily in my development over the years long before it was fashionable, and I still do.  Some of that was about not being good enough, but a lot of it has been driven by a strong sense of - I want to do this better.  Surely there has to be a more human and sustainable way of leading.  

When I look back, what I was really good at was building capability:

• Stretching my team beyond what they thought was possible. 
• Coaching for growth.
• Taking the time to understand what made each person unique, and connecting their strengths to opportunities that helped them thrive.

The words "psychological safety" and "wellbeing at work" weren’t part of our vocabulary 10 years ago, but the principles were always there. People need to be seen, stretched, and supported, not micromanaged into oblivion.

And now, with everything I know about neuroscience, wellbeing, and positive psychology, I understand why it mattered so much.

It’s always been about the people and connection. 

A love note to our Middle Managers:  “The Meat In the Sandwich”

If you’re a middle manager right now, I feel for you.

You are the meat in the sandwich - squeezed between the top-down pressure from execs, and the bottom-up needs of your team.  You're expected to hold it all together with a smile and a 10-point action plan.

I get it - it’s so hard.  I’ve been there. How can you lead from an empty cup.

But You’ve Got This.  Let’s Start with What’s In Your Sphere of Control?

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is this:  In leadership, and in life, there will always be things outside your control.

But you can control your energy, how you show up, your response, your clarity, and how you treat people. 

The question is:

• Are you letting the system dictate how you lead and feel every day?
• Or are you consciously choosing to lead in a way that’s aligned to your values, your strengths, and your vision?

Because even inside a flawed system, you can:

• Build psychological safety within your team.
• Model boundaries and brain-friendly practices.
• Offer clarity, trust, and hope.

And in doing so, you not only support your team, you support yourself.

Leadership Is About People and Connection

At its heart, leadership is all about connection.

It’s about how people feel when they’re around you.

• It’s about how you make decisions, even under pressure.
• It’s about the trust you build when you show compassion and hold team members accountable. 
• It’s about how you show up for yourself, so you can show up for others.

This is why I created the Brain-Friendly Leadership Toolkit, to give you a reflection point, a catalyst, and a roadmap for leading with more clarity, care, and confidence.

The next step? Start where you are. Notice what’s within your reach. Lead yourself first.

And remember: the way you lead yourself is the foundation for the way you lead others.

Ready to explore your own leadership? Download the Brain-Friendly Leadership Toolkit today.

Need a sounding board or some practical support?  Book in a Call with Me 

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With care,

Julie

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